Cute flashpacker option
Cute little Baan Jaru on the southern stretch of Jetyod Road is a perfect example of a very popular boutique-style guesthouse that comes with a greater reputation than it does capacity.
Smug, albeit friendly, owners turned us away a couple of times during low season before we actually managed to get a look at their rooms. Their success isn’t rocket science and frankly interiors—apart from their rather plush “cottage room”—were very ordinary but they have the desired quiet but central location and have made intelligent use of limited space with a tiny but cutely decorated garden and cosy seating and cafe section. Staff members we met were helpful and friendly and rates represent solid all-year-round value for simple but clean and adequately-appointed rooms.
More effort seems to have been made decorating the bathrooms than the somewhat Spartan rooms but the tiled floors were sparkling, the white-painted walls spotless and furniture again, simple but functional. Certain other would-be flashpacker establishments please note that widescreen TVs, air-con, WiFi, fridges, bedside lamps and hot showers all worked efficiently and there’s little point in offering these facilities if you have a single, grainy, English language channel, no lightbulbs and the air-con unit sounds like a jet-fighter taking off.
Reception lies on your right as you enter and is placed in a carefully restored old wooden house. Beyond this are small indoor and terrace cafe areas for drinks and the inclusive breakfasts. To the rear a newish two-storey bright blue structure houses standard rooms with a second small block to the left containing the superior ones. Superior rooms are bright and airy with good-sized balconies while in front is their piece-de-resistance “cottage room”. In contrast to the generally simple decor, they’ve really gone to town on the cottage version with varnished parquet, buffed cement walls and subtle lighting. Considering it’s only 200 baht more than the superior this a great deal.
A consistent effort made to maintain efficient service and facilities and stick to sensible rates is the key then. Like their rooms, simple but effective, with happy punters then creating a happy vibe and providing good feedback.
Address: 1003/1 Jetyod Rd
T: (053) 713 640; (096) 536 3629;
Email: baanjaru@gmail.com
Web: https://www.facebook.com/baanjaru/
Coordinates (for GPS): 99º49'53.94" E, 19º54'9.69" N
See position in Apple or Google Maps: Apple Maps | Google Maps
Room rates: 600B to 1,500B
What we were quoted as a walk-in.
Standard double room | 800 baht | 800 baht |
Superior double room | 1,000 baht | 1,000 baht |
Deluxe double room | 1,200 baht | 1,200 baht |
Reviewed by
Mark Ord
Based in Chiang Mai, Mark Ord has been travelling Southeast Asia for over two decades and first crossed paths with Travelfish on Ko Lipe in the early 1990s.
Our top 10 places to stay in and around Chiang Rai